Neuromechanics of soft-bodied locomotion

动物可以以非常复杂和有效的方式在世界上移动，而这些方式仍然很难或不可能在机器上复制。这一点在章鱼、蠕虫和毛毛虫等软体动物身上尤为明显，这些动物在移动时会改变形状。这项研究的长期目标是了解无骨动物是如何控制自己的身体的，并将这一知识应用于全新类型的机器人的设计和制造。实际上，软体动物是各种新设备的工作原型。使用一种成熟的模型动物(毛毛虫，Manduca sexta)，这些实验将同时收集关于机械性能和神经信号驱动行为的数据。为了进行这些研究，已经开发了新的测量设备(如柔性电极阵列、微力梁)和计算方法。与工程师合作，这些数据将被用来建立控制和模拟软动物运动的数学模型。其中一个成果将是首次解释如何使用几个简单的命令来控制巨大变形的结构。除了更好地了解动物的运动外，这些研究还将在工程和机器人领域产生影响。一个立竿见影的效果将是为生物和工程专业的学生提供新的跨学科培训机会。更广泛的影响将是通过公开这些成果，让科学家和工程师为未来的技术开发自己的软材料研究工具和应用程序。一个潜在的结果是生产用于体内诊断和治疗的软机器人，或用于其他需要极端机动性的应用(例如，灾难情况下的搜索和救援机器人)。这些新机器可能是当前设备的廉价、安全和可生物降解的替代品。

Animals can move through the world in remarkably complex and effective ways that are still difficult or impossible to replicate in machines. This is particularly evident in soft animals such as octopus, worms and caterpillars which can change shape as they move. A long-term goal of this research is to understand how boneless animals control their bodies and to apply this knowledge in the design and fabrication of entirely new types of robot. In effect, soft animals are working prototypes for all sorts of new devices. Using a well-established model animal (the caterpillar, Manduca sexta) these experiments will simultaneously collect data on the mechanical performance and neural signals driving behavior. New measuring devices (e.g., flexible electrode arrays, micro-force beams) and computational methods have been developed to carry out these studies. Working with engineers, these data will be used to build mathematical models that control and simulate soft animal movements. One outcome will be the first explanation of how a massively deformable structure can be controlled using a few simple commands. In addition to developing a better understanding of animal movements, these studies will have an impact in the fields of engineering and robotics. One immediate effect will be new cross-disciplinary training opportunities for biology and engineering students. A broader impact will be through the public availability of these results for scientists and engineers to develop their own soft material research tools and applications for future technologies. One potential outcome is the production of Soft Robots for diagnostic and therapeutic use inside the body or for other applications that need extreme mobility (e.g., search and rescue robots for disaster situations). These new machines could be cheap, safe, and biodegradable alternatives to current devices.